Spring Break
Changes on the way
Department unanimously endorses climate report
By: Kristin Leveille
Issue date: 7/10/07 Section: News
North said this is not a liberal or conservative issue, but pointed to talk show hosts and activists who turn the issue into a partisan one.
"I am not blaming either side, they are in the business of politics," North said. "Our business is to say what the scientific consensus is."
The IPCC report states the global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and far exceed pre-industrial values, and the increase in carbon dioxide is due primarily to fossil fuel use and land change.
Some argue the IPCC report is a political document, edited by politicians before it was released, and influenced by members of participating governments. The IPCC is open to all members of the United Nations and WMO.
Dessler said he rejects the argument that the IPCC reports are significantly influenced by politicians.
"The IPCC reports are written by hundreds of scientists and reviewed by thousands of others," Dessler said. "Politicians have no control over the bulk of the report, and that's why the reports represent the best thinking of the scientific community on the important issues involving climate change."
Temperature increases of up to 5 degrees Celsius, changes in rainfall patterns, extreme weather events and the decrease in availability of water in certain places are what Dessler said will be the likely impact of global warming.
"A few degrees doesn't sound like a lot, but, for example, during the last ice age the earth was a few degrees cooler than it is today," Dessler said. "In general, people are adapted to living on a planet that has a certain climate, and that climate hasn't changed much in the past 10,000 years."
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) 2005 State of the Climate Report, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere increased from approximately 280 parts per million (ppm) in pre-industrial times to 379 ppm in 2005.
"I am not blaming either side, they are in the business of politics," North said. "Our business is to say what the scientific consensus is."
The IPCC report states the global atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide have increased markedly as a result of human activities since 1750 and far exceed pre-industrial values, and the increase in carbon dioxide is due primarily to fossil fuel use and land change.
Some argue the IPCC report is a political document, edited by politicians before it was released, and influenced by members of participating governments. The IPCC is open to all members of the United Nations and WMO.
Dessler said he rejects the argument that the IPCC reports are significantly influenced by politicians.
"The IPCC reports are written by hundreds of scientists and reviewed by thousands of others," Dessler said. "Politicians have no control over the bulk of the report, and that's why the reports represent the best thinking of the scientific community on the important issues involving climate change."
Temperature increases of up to 5 degrees Celsius, changes in rainfall patterns, extreme weather events and the decrease in availability of water in certain places are what Dessler said will be the likely impact of global warming.
"A few degrees doesn't sound like a lot, but, for example, during the last ice age the earth was a few degrees cooler than it is today," Dessler said. "In general, people are adapted to living on a planet that has a certain climate, and that climate hasn't changed much in the past 10,000 years."
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) 2005 State of the Climate Report, carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere increased from approximately 280 parts per million (ppm) in pre-industrial times to 379 ppm in 2005.
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